Harvard Law School: World’s Leading Law School

When people hear about Harvard, some of the things that might come up include prestige, prominent people, and immense breakthroughs in the field. With a history that's nearly 400 years long, Harvard retains its reputation as one of the leading universities in the world. Now, let us look at one of Harvard's distinguished schools: Harvard Law School.

History of Harvard Law School

With a history dating back to the early 1800s, Harvard Law School (HLS) is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is home to the largest academic law library in the world. 

Harvard Law School was one of the first law schools to admit women, beginning with the class of 1950. Among the nine women who enrolled at HLS in 1956 was Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who went on to become an Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, where she served until her death in 2020.

A glance at Harvard Law School 

Harvard Law School offers three types of graduate degrees: 

• Juris Doctor (J.D.): A full-time, three-year program where students get to learn the fundamentals of legal practice, legal reasoning, and analysis. Upon graduating, students can become licensed to practice law. 
• Master of Laws (L.L.M.): A one-year master's program meant to complement a JD or equivalent foreign law degree which can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis. By taking this degree, students can expand their legal knowledge, keep up with the latest legal developments, as well as specialize in a particular legal field. Upon graduating, students can become a solicitor, or work in law enforcement, technology companies, or transnational organizations such as the United Nations. 
• Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.): Harvard Law School's most advanced law degree designed for students interested in pursuing legal academia. 

According to the US News 2023 Best Law Schools rankings, Harvard Law sits fifth on the top law school in the US, behind Stanford and Yale.

Knowing that Harvard Law is recognized as one of the best law schools in the US, it is no surprise that it has a very selective admission process. According to Harvard Law School's 2022 class profile, 916 applicants were offered admissions out of 7,419 applicants. This brings the admissions rate to only 12%.

Degree and Programs

Harvard Law School's faculty includes more than 100 full-time professors and more than 150 visiting professors. They offer more than 400 courses and seminars covering a broad range of traditional and emerging legal fields. Currently, HLS offers seven programs of study:

• Law and Business
• Law and Government
• International and Comparative Law
• Law and History
• Law and Social Change
• Criminal Law and Policy
• Law, Science, and Technology

Harvard Law School also offers several joint degree programs that combine the study of law with other disciplines. The following are the degree programs:

• JD/MBA with Harvard Business School
• JD/MPP or MPA-ID with Harvard Kennedy School
• JD/MPH with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• JD/MUP with the Graduate School of Design
• JD/Ph.D. with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Notable Alumni 

Barack Obama

In 1988, Barack Obama enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he was the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review. After graduating, he worked as a civil rights attorney and taught at the University of Chicago before deciding to run for public office. In 2008, after serving three years in the US Senate, he became the 44th President of the United States.

Elena Kagan

After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1986, Elena Kagan clerked for Thurgood Marshall, who was then a Justice of the Supreme Court. After the end of her clerkship, she became an attorney at Williams & Connolly and later served as the dean of Harvard Law School from 2003. She was then become an associate justice of the US Supreme Court in 2010. 

Being consistently ranked as one of the top law schools in the world, it's no surprise many wishes to get into Harvard Law School.

While gaining admission into it is no mean feat, HLS is not only a great place to learn about the law. It's also about getting immersed in an environment that will challenge you and help shape who you are!

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